# VIMORTP (Vanderbilt Integrated Molecular Oncology Research Training Program)

> **NIH NIH T32** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · $187,628

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The pace of advances in molecular oncology discovery and integration to clinical practice is unparalleled.
Modern cancer medicine has made the leap from model organism to studies in human-based systems, and the
tools necessary to create large quantities of data, and to integrate and interpret them rapidly, have emerged
simultaneously. In addition, the scientific leap has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in the importance
of translational research and high quality clinical investigation. The result is an increased need for skilled
workers who are able to be translate findings made at the bench, to have a broad understanding of working
with human samples and data, who are capable communicators, and who have the skillset to be able to make
informed connections to human disease. Our goal is to foster a cohort of highly trained, motivated, and
effective clinician-investigators and translational scientists in this arena, who are poised to lead the coming
advancements in the field of oncology research. Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center
(“Vanderbilt”) has a strong history of research in personalized or precision medicine, as well as significant
depth in molecular oncology research. In addition, we have a longstanding and secure pipeline of MD-PhD and
exceptional MD trainees joining our program, owing to the Harrison Society physician scientist training program
in internal medicine, the pediatric physician-scientist pipeline, and the Holman Scholar Program in radiation
oncology that have been a major successes of the Vanderbilt educational platform. We are proposing a
training program that builds on that foundation, and selects 1-2 clinical fellow level trainees each year for an
intensively mentored training experience. We propose the following aims: 1) to facilitate training in the
fundamentals of discovery and implementation research in their selected area of expertise, 2) to provide
structured mentoring in communication skills and team building for the future leadership needs in managing
research teams, 3) to deliver focused training in protocol writing and manuscript preparation, and 4) to identify
and develop trainees who are representative of the diversity of our population. Trainees will be provided an
opportunity to expand skills where needed, in statistical methodology, informatics strategy, human tissue
investigation, or tumor immunology. We have assembled a strong cohort of mentors representing translational
cancer research, tumor immunology, drug development, and cancer epidemiology. Together, we are prepared
to develop a new generation of clinician-investigators who are prepared to join and lead the exciting
developments that promise to improve our ability to detect, manage, and cure cancer.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10225434
- **Project number:** 5T32CA217834-04
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** WENDY KIMRYN RATHMELL
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $187,628
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10225434

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10225434, VIMORTP (Vanderbilt Integrated Molecular Oncology Research Training Program) (5T32CA217834-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10225434. Licensed CC0.

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